MBCE

Leon Mighty Leon called back at the light wielding hero, informing him that he would work on clearing the building. The shirtless hero knew that the main information desk was located on the first floor. Getting there of course was the real problem. Taking the central escalator would be the sane way to proceed, but Leon could see the muscle man suddenly enlarge and his skin color change. The newcomer floated into the air, enticing the creatures to follow him which meant that the area would soon be overrun with the creatures. He could travel on to the northern end near the bookstore. The armored figure he noted there earlier was no longer in sight though. Getting to that escalator would take precious time though. Heading back towards the southern end, which was closer, would cut down on time greatly. Even closer were the central elevators but there was no way of knowing how dangerous that would be. Leon moved over to the edge where he could see the lower level. Of course, jumping was always a choice.

Ghost lifted an eyebrow in surprise. "Now that's what I call be prepared. A second set of clothes in the trunk. Aren't worried that someone might take off with your car?" Ghost took a moment to take in the vehicle and smiled. "Naw, on second thought, no chance of that happening." Ghost got into the car and waited for the demon to finish dressing. Once he had entered the car, Ghost spoke quickly. "The only thing we have to do now is figure out how to get this coin to them. I suspect we're still under observation and now that we're beyond the protected grounds, we should be hearing from our mysterious employer any time now. We hand over the item and then go our separate ways." Ghost looked out the window and sighed. "Might as well head back to my place. At least she knows where that is." 'I'll probably have to move now. Too many people know where I put my head down. That's not really helpful.'

The creatures jumped upon the car wreck and began ripping it to shreds. The woman in the car screamed and the high pitched noise reached the creature with the strange ghost shaped marking under its eye. The creature ignored the sound and lifted it's head into the sky. It sniffed the night air identifying the various scents. It caught the smell of car oil as well as gasoline. These were the strongest. Hidden just underneath the rich aroma was an unfamiliar scent. The creature registered the strange scent but it could also make out the sweet scent of more machines closer to the casinos. There the small group could feat on more wonderful machines. It pointed out the group's direction and began moving. Deep inside the strange creature, that strange scent that it would never be interested in found purchase on a very dormant aspect of its mind. That scent of fresh blood, mixed with the woman's perfume, and the rich smell of menthol tobacco had the the strangest effect on this dormant aspect. It was just the right scent needed to awaken what was left of Sammy Cosentino. It seemed Lady Fortune had decided to answer Sammy's prayers after all.

The leader watched as his minions began ripping into the two wrecks. A gleeful laugh escaped its lips as it slowly began moving towards the destruction. The creature once known as ghost, jumped into the mess and began ripping into the cars. Metal seared away from like a hot knife cutting through butter. Its claws were sharper than anything it had witnessed before. Screams from the woman inside of the car barely registered to Ghost. Flesh did not interest him while now. Only metal would satisfy his thirst. In a relatively short amount of the time, there was very little left of the two vehicles. Both the woman and her husband laid exposed to the creatures. Ghost looked down at the woman and smiled widely. She screamed once more before the terror caused her to lose consciousness. Ghost turned his head up and sniffed the air. The smell of machine oil was heavy in the air tonight. He smiled and pointed towards the casinos. "Food." The five gremlins turned to look in the direction their leader pointed. They jumped up and down in excitement before moving in that direction. Again Ghost followed more slowly. The night was still young and there were more delicious items to partake in.

Dark Star The man thinks on the questions for a while before answering. "Hmm, I think the tourney should be starting in the next day or so. Each year, the tests that Lord Centurion puts into place changes. I'm not sure what this year will look like, but it's bound to be very interesting." "Not much to say about the darkness, though. It's all rumors to people like myself and all. Only Lord Centurion's closest advisors would have any real information though. Rumors are that a rift has opened and demons are making their way into our world. Some say that the dragons have banded together to regain their place as the most powerful creatures of the land. Which is true, I don't know. I lean more towards the idea that the land is full of undead creatures coming forth to suck the life-force out of us normal people. They would find people like yourself prime meals." The driver gave a short laugh at his own comment. "Oh, looks like we're here. Just head to the Castle and let them know there that you're here for the tourney. Good luck to you." Dark Star looked up to see the walls of a town before him. though it was no where near as large as Freedom City of his time, this would be a major sized city here. He could see beyond the guarded gates an inner wall that surrounded a tall castle. The roads that he could see leading to the castle were decorated for the upcoming event and the people he saw around him seemed to be in a festive mood. Dark Star said his good byes and began moving towards the castle. As he went by, various people called out welcoming words to the hero, his dark form an obvious indication of his knightly bearing. Reaching the inner wall, Dark Star was stopped at the gate with a group of other strangely dressed people. A few of the figures looked very familiar to Dark Star, Captain Thunder, and was that Bowman? It seemed that Dark Star was not the only hero brought back to this time.

Which is the old version? I only have access to the one that you're linked to in your sig line.

Minor point. Just needed something to get you into the story. Consider it to check what you read, I've edited the post to reflect that.

Wait a minute! Don't just rip it out! Does he even understand the meaning of subtle? One of these days I'm going to have to teach him how to do things with style and not brute force. At least Belphegor has the muscles I need to handle this caper. I would have been a goner already if he wasn't here to take part of the load off of me. Everyone's got a use, I guess. Hmm, stairs. I wonder where they lead.

August 31, 2009: Ghostly Highjinks ensues as small green creatures disturb life within the Boardwalk.

(Continue form Ghostly Insights) August 31, 2009 The Boardwalk was one of the most visited areas by tourists of Freedom City. The Casinos often drew people in search of a good time. Not everyone came to gamble. The shows at the Golden Calf Casino brought both young and old to enjoy the entertainers. It was what brought Bell and her husband Jack to the area. "I think you need to turn left on Adams, Jack." "Honey, just let handle this. I know where we're going." The car stopped at the light and waited for it to change colors. Bell reached into the glove compartment in search of the map that came with the rental car. She turned her head towards the window suddenly. "What was that?" Bell asked her husband, concern in her voice. Jack turned to look at his wife. "Huh? What was what?" "Didn't you hear it? It sounded like something was moving under the car. "I didn't hear anything," Jack said as he turned back to watch the traffic light. Suddenly a small green creature landed on the hood of the car. It struck out at the windshield, its claws easily breaking through. Bell screamed in fright at the sight as Jack stepped hard upon the gas pedal. The car jerked forward into traffic only to get hit by another car coming the other way. Nearby, a different green skinned creature watched the accident. It smiled at the destruction. Now there were two vehicles just right for the taking. It gave a high pitched screech that brought out four other creatures. The four smaller creatures moved quickly to the crash site and began ripping into the vehicles. The larger one concentrated and another smaller green creature appeared next to it. "Feast," it muttered in its strange language before moving to join the festivities. As it entered the light, a small dark mark could be seen under its eye. The mark seemed to be in the shape of a ghost.

This is the OOC thread of the Ghost's actions while transformed. Continuation from Ghostly Insights.

Doktor Archeville and Atlas Doktor Archeville reached the second floor with no problems. He landed safely and at his question a few of the people in the pile up moaned that they were just bruised. There didn't seem to be any major physical damage. The two men began helping untangle the group of people when one of the women pointed across the way. "What is that thing?" The two men turned to look and saw one of the green creatures staring at them. It's mouth was opened wide with saliva dangling out of one side. It looked hungry and it seemed to have its attention focused upon the good Doktor. It gave a sharp shriek of sound that brought out a number of creatures. The newcomers looked about trying to see what had gotten their companion so excited. When their eyes landed upon the Doktor, they began screaming their excitement as well. At the moment, there were no gremlins in the immediate area, but with their speed, Doktor Archeville and Atlas could find themselves surrounded by at least twenty of the creatures.

Boomer Boomer turned to look around and saw a man fly down the central escalator to join the muscle man there. He also noted that the mall was infested with the small creatures. His light show had again attracted the creature's attention for a short moment as he caught sight of a few of the creatures poking their heads out of various locations. Near him, there were at least ten within sight. A few were working on the escalator nearby while a few were ripping into the automatic doors of some of the shops. The woman nodded her understanding and began moving to the nearby escalator, oblivious of the creatures already ripping into the machinery. Loud screams came from behind Boomer from the Gadgets R' Us. He had forgotten that there was a commotion inside.

Witch Blackbird walked the streets in search of someone to talk. As she moved about the stalls, she listened in on various conversations. The hottest topic seemed to be the tourney that was being held at the castle soon. Lord Centurion had called forth knights to participate in the tourney. those that showed themselves worthy would gain a place at his side. Rumors were that this year, those that passed would actually have something to fight. A large force of darkness was gathering in the north and some feared that it would be too much for Lord Centurion to defeat alone. Blackbird could see the castle in question in the center of the city, which she learned was known as Freedom Reach. Perhaps there, she could learn what had brought her to this strange place.

Twilight Gryphon With her load lighten, the woman smiled her thanks. "Thanks." The woman spoke a few words and gestured before walking off the edge. Instead of falling, her foot found purchase upon the air itself. Slowly, she began walking to the library. As she walked she answered Twilight's question. "Why this is the Chiurgeon's Academy. The largest school of medicine within all the realm, of course." The woman took a moment to look more closely at Twilight. "You're not from around here, are you? Did you come for the tourney? Lord Centurian could always use healers."

Disable Security 28

"Well, you're right about that. It wouldn't do us much good if there was footage of you busting up the joint." Ghost smiled as he leaned Belphegor against the wall. He quickly moved back into the security room and began checking over the system trying to find how they stored their information. The Ghost knew that a place of this magnitude would definitely keep their security in house as opposed to an outside source. That way they could hide and set up all those wonderful goodies without the need for information leaking out.

Jack of all Blades Jack swung down the clothes line, flaming sword in hand, and burst into the building. The change in lighting took a moment for Jack's eyes to adjust. Once they had, he saw that he was in what could only be a common room of an inn. A large bar stood against the wall. Three of the five tables in sight had patrons staring at Jack's sudden entrance. A serving girl stopped in mid-step, surprised by Jack's words and flaming weapon. A few torches stood in brackets lining the walls, giving the room light. From behind the bar, a large burly man sighed. "Great! Just what we need! Another one coming to the tourney. Why can't these knights stop showing off." "I don't know Jasper," one of the men sitting at the bar said in reply. "This one actually may win the tourney. Look at that sword! I'd bet a few silvers on him winning."

Doktor Archeville Again, the Doktor manipulated the strange viewing devices to get a better look at the workings of the castle. As the crystal balls zoomed in on the castle, he could see that the courtyard was presently being set up for some kind of ceremony. A large seating stand was being erected with banners decorating the ground. Doktor Archeville willed the crystal balls to go further within the castle itself, but found his vision blocked. The castle must be protected from outside viewing or whatever the power source used for the scrying devices. In either case, only going there would gain more information. Doktor Archeville stepped out side and saw that he was actually in the town that he first viewed from his workshop. The streets were cobblestone and the buildings that lined the street were thatched roofed. Looking back at the building he had emerged from, he could see that it was made of stone with a more permanent roof. Compared to the other buildings in the area, his was of a higher quality. The good Doktor could see that the road led towards the center of the town where the castle sat waiting. Various people moved about cleaning or heading to the inner section of the town. His keen observations showed that even here, preparations were underway for some kind of city-wide event.

The Basic Story To keep things moving well, I thought it would be nice if I let you know what I had planned for the thread. As we have heroes and villains in this thread, it makes more sense to be upfront with how I expect things to play out. This is a cooperative themed thread. I would like the villains and heroes to work together to find their way back to their time. I'm not looking for 100% cooperation; villains wouldn't be villains if they didn't try to use the situation to improve their own standing in some way! I will be trying to get everyone together and for that to happen quickly, I may pull out the railroad tracks to get people where I need them quickly. Play style I know a lot of people like being the center of attention and really showing off what they can do, but I would like people to try to hold back so that it is more of a group story. If you find yourself alone, sky's the limit. If you're sharing a scene with another player, try not to do everything by yourself. The way stunting works in M&M, it's possible that one person can defeat everything in sight if they know the rules really well. Actions: I'll be limiting the amount of Free Actions a person can do in a round. Everyone will be limited to 3 Free actions. So when in combat, you will have the following actions: 3 Free Actions, 1 Move action, and 1 Standard action. You may change your actions downward so a standard can become a move action or a free action. A move action can become a free action. This is the first thread where I'll be trying out this system so it may change later. Any questions or comments?

Dark Star The man looked over Dark Star quietly for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "Be my guest. These roads are fairly lonely and I would enjoy the company." He moved over slightly to make room. Once Dark Star was seated, he flicked the reins and began his story. "Hmm, where to start. I guess the beginning is always the best place. Freedom Reach is the largest city in the land. People from all over the world come to trade goods or make a name for themselves. The city is protected by a great leader, Lord Centurion, who some say is a god in mortal form. Every year, Lord Centurian calls forth knights to participate in a great tourney. The winners are accepted to join Lord Centurian in the fight against the evil forces of the world. This year's tourney looks to be the biggest of them all. Signs have pointed to a great danger amassing in the north. Lord Centurion will need all the knights he can gather to hold back the darkness." The driver smiles at Dark Star. "From the look of things, you should do well in the tourney."

Exile Exile, trapped in a world not of his choosing, was always in search of information that would proof useful with his agreement with the entity known as The Watcher. Within the halls of Gentle Mansion, th mystic had gathered ancient mystical lore in the hopes of one day using that new found knowledge. While pouring over some ancient texts, Exile turned to gather a small tome to check the information. Exile was surprised to see that his bookcase had changed to hold various scrolls and much less actually books as was there before. Turning to his work table, he saw that it had changed as well. Gone were the modern devices he used to restore the texts. In their place, were vials of liquids as well as archaic writing utensils. Looking around the workshop showed that more had changed. Gone were his modern light fixtures. Now only lite torches provided light in the windowless room. Even the door that lead out of the workshop had changed to one of deep dark oak. The world around Exile had changed and he had no idea why.

This is the guy that we were sent to find? He doesn't look very tough, Bel should be able to get him to talk fairly easily. Eeew! No he didn't! We need him to be scared of us, not disgusted! Guess it's up to me to get him to talk. Not really my department though. Well, what do you know. It worked. I surprise myself every day.

EVERYONE To give a better idea of the mall, There are 3 levels. Clothing is on the first floor. All of our original PCs are on the second floor. Doc is on the third floor where the food court is the main feature. A few of the stores reach the third level though. The center area of the second and third floors are open to allow visitors to see down to the bottom floor. various walkways cross over to the eastern and western walkway. There are three sets of escalators: North-end (bookstore area), center (sports store), and south end (Gadgets R' Us). Doc is presently at the center escalator looking down at Samael. Samael can see Boomer and Leon. Zealot has moved out of sight of everyone on the 2nd floor. Boomer can still see Leon but lost sight of Samael once the light fixture fell. Initiative will be handed by order of posting. So first person posts, they act first in the round. I will reset the rounds here in the OOC thread, even though I will be posting in the IC thread after I see posts. Status Leon -- 1 HP Boomer -- 1 HP Dr. Archeville -- 4 HP Atlas -- 2 HP Zealot -- 1 VP 1)Gremlins are all minions. 2)DEF +4 (Elusive Target), Toughness +2 [Protection 3],F+2, R+2, W+3 [Fearless]

Taking ten isn't going to work on following the trail to its source. There as just too many of the little buggers all about. Also, keep in mind that your stealth check will keep the other heroes from seeing you, but not the bystanders in your area. The mall has plenty of people around that would noticed an armored man walking about. They may not think much of him, but they do notice him.